Investing with Impact Platform offers an investment approach targeting risk-adjusted financial returns as well as positive environmental and social impact

NEW YORK, Apr. 26 /CSRwire/ – Morgan Stanley Smith Barney today announced the launch of a new investment platform designed to help clients align their financial goals and their personal values. The Investing with Impact Platform offers clients and Financial Advisors a broad range of investment options.

The concept of integrating social and environmental impact into investment decisions is not new, but its growing importance has led to a greater opportunity set for investors. Nearly one in eight dollars under professional management in the U.S. or about $3.07 trillion follows investment strategies that consider corporate responsibility and societal concerns.1

“This is an important initiative for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney,” said Andy Saperstein, Head of Wealth Management, U.S., at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.”We hear frequently from clients and Financial Advisors about the importance of integrating sustainability themes into their investment portfolios. Now through the Investing with Impact Platform, MSSB is able to offer our clients an action-oriented approach to combine financial returns and their personal values.”

At launch, the Investing with Impact Platform will offer clients access to many opportunities spanning public and private market products through their Financial Advisors. This is the first phase in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s focused effort to meet investors’ desire for investment opportunities that center on positive social and environmental impact, without sacrificing financial performance potential. The launch of the Investing with Impact Platform will provide a substantial base on which to expand our offerings over time.

“Our goal is to build this into a robust offering to meet our clients’ needs, regardless of their impact priorities or what their portfolio fit might require,” said Paul Hatch, Head of Investment Strategy & Client Solutions at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. “With over four million clients who have more than $1.7 trillion of investable assets, we are in a unique position to extend the reach of an ‘investing with impact’ program to one of the largest sets of investors in the world. Even a fraction of this total represents a substantial amount that could be invested in support of the common good.”

“At Morgan Stanley and MSSB, sustainability is at the core of our business and now, with the launch of the Investing with Impact Platform, we are able to help our wealth management clients align their investments with their desire to positively impact their communities,” commented Audrey Choi, Head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley. “We believe investments targeting positive environmental and social impact should be available to all investors from individuals to large scale institutions, and we look forward to continuing to broaden the reach.”

To find out more about the Investing with Impact Platform at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, please contact your Financial Advisor or email InvestingwithImpact@mssb.com.